Walking in North Yorkshire

Kildale to Baysdale and its Lost Abbey

9.5 miles Fine and breezy

For some reason we haven't done this Tom Scott Burns walk for nearly three years. It's a good walk so I decided to put that right today and parked at the side of the road in Kildale village before setting off towards Little Kildale.

Today's walk from The Walker's Guide to the Cleveland Hills

Houses in Kildale

Walking out towards Little Kildale

Kildale Hall

Little Kildale in the distance

Tom Scott Burns informs us that Kildale is a village of great antiquity. There are several 'Kildals' in Norway and the village was probably named by the Vikings. It was called Childale in the Domesday Book. In 1156, where the church now stands, was a wooden castle built by the Percys, Earls of Northumberland. Walking through the village we turned off the road into Green Gate Lane and climbed towards Little Kildale. Reaching the hamlet we continued along our lane through Little Kildale Wood, eventually reaching Warren Farm where we turned right towards the open moor.

Little Kildale

Pigeon weather vane at Little Kildale

Fine example of a David Brown Tractor

Looking across towards Lonsdale Plantation from Little Kildale

Following our path past Warren Farm we came to a large square chimney as we descended to Leven Vale. This is the remains of an ironstone mine that was operational between 1866 and 1874. Time and effort have been given to making this a site of interest so we stopped to look around.

In Little Kildale Wood

Turning off the lane at Warren Farm

Dirty kneeses, who could resist taking this shot?

Descending into Leven Vale

Mine chimney

Foundations have been excavated

Leaving the old mine site we crossed the source of the River Leven and started a climb up through meadows towards Kildale Moor.

The source of the River Leven

Gatekeeper

Dead mole. Some mole runs had been dug out.

We now climbed steadily to Kildale Moor and having reached the top at 900 feet, we descended towards Baysdale Beck, soon reaching the remains of an old barn where the path turns sharp left.

Carole reaches the moor gate

A steady climb to Kildale Moor

Warren Farm in the distance

Descending towards Baysdale

Turn left at the old barn

The track, which runs parallel to Baysdale Beck, is an old lime road that enabled limestone to be carried from Commondale into Cleveland, and we followed this for 1.5 miles until we reached a tarmac road.

We turned right onto the tarmac road and walked steeply downhill to pretty Hob Hole and its water-splash.

Baysdale

The old lime road

We are observed from the heather

On reaching the road turn right..

.. and walk downhill

.. to Hob Hole. Carole checks the measure, it's right!

Hob Hole was supposed to be the haunt of a mischievous hobgoblin who taunted weary travellers and TSB reports a Canon Atkinson speaking of Padfoot, "Padfoot, a precursor of death; sometimes visible, sometimes invisible, but ever and anon padding lightly in the rear of people, then again before them or at their side, and uttering a roar unlike the voice of any known animal."

We often stop here for coffee but it was still early so we decided to keep going for a while longer. Crossing the ford we headed steeply up the tarmac road, then turned right into John Breckon Road. As we walked along this narrow road we had views left down towards Westerdale.

Steeply uphill

Turn off John Breckon Road at the footpath sign

Westerdale below and to the left

After half a mile or so we turned off John Breckon Road to follow a heather track that returned us back along the opposite side of Baysdale Beck, eventually passing a memorial to Alan Clegg 'Who loved these moors'. We arrived at Great Hograh Beck where there is a small stone footbridge and a wooden memorial seat and where Carole finally agreed to stop for coffee and scones.

Excellent dry conditions underfoot

Approaching Little Hograh Beck

Arriving at Great Hograh Beck and its seat

Coffee at last. I'm ready for this!

Bridge dated 1938

TSB notes that the footbridge was built in 1938, according to an inscription, and was the work of Rowland Close, of nearby Low House Farm.

Leaving our rest spot Carole was fortunate to spot a slow worm about 8 inches long as she climbed away from the beck. When she called me it disappeared into a pile of stones and to my great disappointment we were unable to find it. We did spot three small creatures among the rocks, were they young slow worms? A Google search has proved inconclusive.

Young slow worm?

Pleased to have spotted it!

Shortly after the snake encounter we turned right onto a wide track and followed the path across the moor. We walked downhill and passed by the above mentioned Low House Farm to descend to Baysdale Beck.

Horse at Low House Farm

Low House Farm

Bluebells at Baysdale Beck

Walking along Whinney Bank

Masses of bluebells in Baysdale

We passed through Thorntree House Farm before reaching the Abbey which we bypassed, walking to the north of the building.

Baysdale Abbey

Tom Scott Burns explains that in the middle ages land rents for Baysdale were paid with the heads of wolves, which were numerous in the area, and one can imagine this wild enclosed ravine in the 1300s, when cattle were over-wintered in the valley bottom. In fact, TSB explains, Baysdale is derived from Basdale meaning Cow Shed Valley. The Abbey Farm has been renovated and is now marketed as holiday lets.

The original abbey was occupied by 9 or 10 nuns from 1190 to 1539. TSB tells how in 1304 Prioress Joan de Percy had not adhered to the monastic rules and Archbishop Corbridge had to commit the custody of the nuns of Baysdale to Roger de Kellshay, rector of Crathorne. By 1307 Joan remained disobedient and was deprived of her post. She absconded from the abbey with some other nuns and Archbishop Grenfield ordered them back to the abbey "that they return without delay and not go outside the precincts of the abbey and serve God under the yoke of obedience..." . Records show that in fact Joan did return to Baysdale as a simple nun after doing a year's penance at the appropriately named Sinningthwaite.

We walked away from the buildings and crossed a quaint stone bridge which is apparently the only substantial remnant of the original abbey. Crossing the bridge we followed the road to a footpath sign where we turned right to climb steeply through fields, all the way to the dale top, at a height of 1050 feet, where we paused to admire the view back to the abbey and collect our breath. This is using the short cut shown on the map above as dotted line opposite Baysdale Farm.

Turn off the road at the footpath sign

Nearly there

Looking back to the Abbey

We reach the road

We joined a tarmac road and turned right to follow it. After a few minutes walking on this road we saw a stone memorial to the crew of a second world war plane that crashed on Kildale Moor; sadly the crew died from exposure before they could be rescued.

We followed the lane steadily down and eventually joined the Kildale road where we turned right towards the car. We had made good time so decided to pay a visit to St Cuthbert's Church in Kildale.

The approach to the church is interesting as it is made by crossing a narrow bridge over the railway line. Below is Kildale Station and ahead the entrance to the church is framed by yew trees.

Descending to Kildale

Unusual approach to St Cuthbert's Church

Kildale Station

Over the bridge and into the church

The church is Victorian but replaced an old building that went back to Norman days. A lot of the original stone was used and as we entered we saw medieval grave slabs propped up in the porch.

The church was unlocked so we went inside for a closer look.

Norman grave slabs

We were particularly taken with a fine modern window with pastoral scenes. It also showed a steam engine passing through Kildale with the church behind.